


Healthy Compromise

by roonilwazlibnthe1_2bloodprince



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Marauders' Era, Pre-Relationship, how it happened, jily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-09 18:50:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10418772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roonilwazlibnthe1_2bloodprince/pseuds/roonilwazlibnthe1_2bloodprince
Summary: The first time James Potter and Lily Evans date, it doesn't go well and everyone's miserable.  And James and Lily are both out for revenge.  (Of course it ends happily; I'm not strong enough for anything different.)





	

Towards the beginning of sixth year, James Potter approached the table in the common room he had approached so many times before.  He wasn’t nervous this time- there didn’t seem to be a need.  He was answering questions correctly and solemnly in class, volunteering to tutor, attending those Slug Club meetings.  He had stopped bullying the other students, stopped pranking, stopped being friends with Sirius.  He had done everything she had asked him to do.  Finally, he was the way she wanted him and there was no reason for her to find him forward, objectionable, or even very interesting.

“Excuse me,” he said once he was standing next to her, “Is now a good time?”

He had realized on his walk over that he no longer knew what to call her.  ‘Lily’ always annoyed her when it came from his mouth.  ‘Evans’ was too reminiscent of who he was before he changed.

The girl in question, whatever he was supposed to call her, looked up to nod.

“I was wondering if you would have the interest and availability to attend Hogsmeade with me this weekend.”

The girl paused and he could swear she was thinking what he had been only moments ago.  There was no longer a reason to say no.  It would no longer be fair to say no.

“I would,” she answered finally.

He nodded, “Would eleven be a convenient time for you to meet?  In the Great Hall.”

“It would be.”

“Have a nice evening then,” he said as he left that long dreaded table.

“You also.”

And if either one of them realized they hadn’t smiled once through the whole of it, neither said a thing.

\---------

Their date that Saturday was tolerable, so they agreed upon a second one.  That one was similarly inoffensive so they made a habit of it.  They would walk back from Hogsmeade together so it seemed to follow social conventions to hold hands.  Neither of their hands were sweaty or too cold so this also became a habit.

James knew he had to behave now so he offered to carry her books on the way to class.  Lily knew it was her obligation to keep him behaving so she let him.  They held polite conversation as they walked or as they ate together at meals.  James knew he was not to mention what was happening outside of Hogwarts, that he was supposed to focus on school.  So he stuck to conversation about Herbology exams and Potions essays.

They stood together long enough that they were called a couple.  Since couples kissed they did so a few times, although that didn’t really become a habit.  Their relationship seemed to fulfill Lily’s requirements and James’ request to date her.  In short, there seemed to be nothing objectionable about the arrangement.

Unless, of course, you knew James Potter.

\---------

“Come on, Prongs.  This isn’t you,” Peter told him one day in the hall while Lily was off talking to a professor.

James gave his old friend a grim smile, “What, getting good grades, not having detention?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Peter replied without hesitation.

His friend chuckled humorlessly, “Well then, it’s probably a good thing I changed.  Maybe someone might actually hire me one day.”

Peter waved the comment away, “You were fine before.  Weren’t you the one who always said it was chaos out there, that this stuff will barely matter?  And it’s not like all this good behavior will make that big of a deal on your transcript.”

James smiled sadly, “Professor McGonagall offered to recommend me for Head Boy, if I wanted.”

“Oh, what a laugh,” Peter said with the named response, “She must be barmy, eh Prongs?”

“I said yes.”

The shorter boy reeled, “What… You can’t have…”

“She already sent in her recommendation.  If Dumbledore agrees, I’ll be Head Boy.”

“But, James,” Peter, looking concerned, objected, “That’s not you.”

James shrugged, “It’ll look good for employers.”

The other boy looked angry now, “That’s not you.  This is all Evans talking.”

“Well, maybe Lily was right all along.  School, getting hired somewhere, that _is_ what matters, isn’t it?”

If Peter were better with words or maybe if he just weren’t so upset he would have reminded his old friend that other things mattered, too.  But he wasn’t and he was so he just stood there with his mouth flapping uselessly as the potential Head Boy walked away.

\---------

Remus, who was better with words, tried also, even though he would have sworn years ago to have welcomed any change that would have made James more responsible.

“He misses you, you know.”

“Don’t, Remus.”

“This isn’t how it was supposed to go,” Remus shook his head sadly.

James met his eye determinedly, “But it’s how it went.  And I’m happy.”

He focused back on the essay he was writing, but his head snapped up at his friend’s response.

“No, you’re not.”

It wasn’t the words that surprised him.  Remus could be argumentative when he knew he was right.  It wasn’t the timing.  James doubted he could get away with such a statement, even when they hadn’t been talking in a while.  It was the tone, the one of complete disgust.  It was the shaking of his friend’s head that looked like it, for once, wasn’t trying to shake just an unsavory idea from his head but the very sight of him, James, from his vision.  James found it was crushing to disappoint his old mate so completely.

“I-,” he started his defense.  The ending was not yet formed even in his own head but it didn’t turn out to matter anyways because Remus had already left the library to more completely get away from him.

\---------

So Lily Evans and James Potter continued their relationship as it was.  She congratulated him on the recommendation from Professor McGonagall and started teaching him the protocol of being a prefect so he’d be ready if he were chosen.  He bought her a nice set of quills as a Christmas present.  They gave a stiff hug good-bye on the platform before heading home for break.  Everything was going about how it had been since October when he had approached her table.

And then, it wasn’t.

At least, that’s how it seemed to Lily.  They had exchanged polite letters a couple of times while they were apart and she expected they would return to school and each other much the same.  She didn’t know, of course, that over the break Sirius finally went to talk to James.

\---------

“Look, I know we’re not mates anymore, but before you close the door, could you just listen a moment?”

It was a few days before Christmas and the weather was refusing the festivities.  What was coming down was as much rain as snow and it soaked Sirius through as he stood outside the Potter manor that night.

James marveled at the sight, “Sirius, what… Come in, come in.”

It was disturbing, so disturbing to see his once friend standing, dripping in his front hallway two hours after his parents had went to bed.  Standing there looking distraught, devastated.  Sirius was clutching a large, slightly muddy, backpack in his left hand and, James dared to notice, seemed to be close to tears.

“I know we’re not mates anymore,” Sirius repeated, “but I had nowhere else to go.  Remus’s parents don’t know me; they never liked visitors.  And you know how Mrs. Pettigrew doesn’t like me.”

Still bewildered, James finally asked, “What happened?”

“They kicked me out.” Sirius’ voice finally broke. “They finally kicked me out.  And I have nowhere to go.  And I was wondering if, for old times’ sake, you’d let me crash here- just for tonight.”

James shook his head in thought. “You can’t just stay for the night, Sirius.”

The other boy’s face fell. “Alright.  I understand.”

He turned to leave, but his once friend’s face scrunched in something stronger than confusion.

“You can’t go out there, Padfoot.  You’ll catch your death.”

Sirius turned around and offered a sad smile, “I’ll be fine.  I’ll-”

“You’ll stay here,” James said firmly. “Not just for the night.  You’ll stay here.”

His friend sputtered. “But Evans-“

“Damn Evans,” James stated it angrily, as a command. “Damn her.  You’re my brother.”

He embraced the boy still standing shocked before him and Sirius quickly wrapped his arms around as well.  James was soon soaked and muddy but neither seemed to care because finally things were back to how they were supposed to be.

\---------

It was quite the surprise for Lily Evans when she returned in January to find that her quiet, cooperative boyfriend was now gone and in his place was once again the pest who teamed up with Black to cause mayhem and lose house points.  Worse, their lackluster relationship had apparently cured him of his feelings for her so she was now on the table as someone the Marauders could mess with.  Some days she felt like she was the _only_ one on the table.  Sometime in the future the boys would manage to pity her for the shock she received that day, but at the time they were too hurt by what she had done, too relieved to be back together again, too mad at her for breaking them in the first place, to feel anything but glee.

“What the- What the bloody hell is this?!” Lily found herself screaming when she walked into the Great Hall the morning they came back only to find a scene of complete chaos.

Pumpkin juice was bubbling over in its pitchers.  Bits of scrambled egg were popping out of the dishes along the tables.  Knives, forks, and spoons were slamming themselves rhythmically onto the wooden surfaces, as if to introduce a chant.  Broken plates and bowls already littered the floor and there were several people screaming over the noise.

Sirius Black whizzed by on a broomstick, “Have a good holiday?”

“Black?!  Why would… How did you do this all by yourself?!  I haven’t seen you make this much of a mess since-“

“Miss me?” James raced by her with a wide grin, then looped back once he felt she had sufficient time to sputter. “I’m back, Evans.  And I hope you understand- it just wasn’t working out between us.  It’s not you, it’s me.”

He flew up to the ceiling after that, reaching out his arms to revel in being somewhere he shouldn’t, doing something he shouldn’t, and hearing once more that shriek from below-

“POTTER!”

\---------

They were back to old times and it felt good, it felt so good, to be back to being James Potter, Prongs, a Marauder and a friend to Marauders.  Although, quietly, Remus observed that it wasn’t exactly like old times, and not just because James was no longer falling over himself for Evans.  The pranks themselves were different. 

The Marauders, seemingly without realizing it, were no longer bullies.  They just liked a bit of chaos.  Sure, some people would get annoyed, some might even get hurt, from their stunts.  But that was no longer the intent, except on special occasions.  And if a student were to mention such a thing now they would get a mumbled ‘sorry’.  It might come with a clever little smile, but no longer an unapologetic smirk.

He also noticed, with some humor, that James was still volunteering for those tutoring sessions when he wasn’t in detention.  Sometimes Sirius or Peter would even tag along.  Their company typically annoyed James more than anything- Sirius would sometimes make up information that would confuse the student even after he confessed it was a joke.  Peter would sometimes spend the whole night tapping James’ shoulder to make sure he was remembering whatever it was right.  But it downright infuriated Evans, so he put up with it.

\---------

Lily was finding it much more difficult to adjust and she found it satisfying to inform her friends of this after any particularly stressful day.

“I swear, he’s worse than before,” she explained one evening a couple weeks after their dramatic break-up, “They’ve gone crazy and so much of it is aimed at me personally.”

Dorcas and Mary offered a couple of sympathetic smiles.  Emmeline nodded appreciatively.  But Marlene snapped

“Serves you right.”

Lily blinked and peered around her other friends to give the girl a confused, slightly offended, look.

“It serves you right,” Marlene repeated with a fire no one expected, although they all realized later they should have.  She had grown up close family friends with the Potters and while she had listened with humor all those years while the other girls lamented James’ existence, this, apparently, was too much. “Well, honestly, what did you expect?  That you could just _train him_ to behave?  Why would you even date him in the first place if you didn’t like him?”

“He had changed,” Lily explained weakly and if it came out as defensive it was to defend herself, not her actions, from Marlene’s words. “ _He_ asked _me_ out.”

“You shouldn’t have said yes,” Marlene said sternly. “You should have known when he dropped Black like that, that something was wrong.  You shouldn’t have said yes.”

Lily looked sadly at her papers and answered softly, “I had no reason to say no.”

Her friend softened. “I know, Lily.  But he was a person and, even if you don’t believe it, I think he was a good person.  You don’t have to _like_ who he is now or let him get away with anything- no one expects you to do that- but I don’t think you get to feel betrayed, either.”

The girl in questioned nodded, understanding.

“And you all can hate me if you like,” Marlene added, “But I kind of like this new old James.  He’s a lot more fun and he’s so much happier.  You could never get him to smile unless you were yelling at him, Lily.”

The whole group gave a small laugh at that, accepting it as their peace treaty.  But Lily was surprised to find Marlene’s last comment hurt a little, just a little.

\---------

She found herself able to appreciate Marlene’s perspective on the matter, but that did not mean she put forth any less of an effort towards busting Potter.  Some days it felt like the most pressing homework she had was finding a way to catch them in the act.  The problem was, other than the ruckus they caused that first day back from holiday, the Marauders had actually become almost discrete.  They still received plenty of detentions, even McGonagall suggested she calm down a bit, but the detentions were only from about two out of every five pranks.  And Lily needed to get five out of five.  It was driving her crazy and they knew it.

If they were to argue innocence on their mental warfare, they lost the argument that one day in the middle of April.  The Marauders had somehow coaxed what was apparently the entire rabbit population of the Forbidden Forest out onto the open grounds where students normally relaxed. 

One of the rabbits they gave a blue tail and had announced that whoever could catch it without using magic would receive a mystery prize.  No matter what the mystery prize turned out to be, students soon realized the glory of winning such a competition and were quick to participate.  For some, they did so instead of attending classes.

It was a very public display and one of the few times that it would be actually very easy to give them a detention, so Lily was determined not to give them the satisfaction of showing her frustration.

“Pettigrew,” She began calmly once she was close enough, “What is going on here?”

“Catch the Blue Tail,” he answered easily with a grin in the face of danger that bought him admiration from everyone who saw it. “Care to play?”

Lily gave a smile of her own. “No, thank you.  In fact, I would very much appreciate it if you would return the rabbits to the Forbidden Forest in their natural color.”

“That so, Evans?” Sirius asked as he made his way over to where most of the fun seemed to be happening. “Why’s that?”

“Well, that way,” she said sweetly, “I can assign you all fewer detentions, and wouldn’t that be nice?”

Sirius gave a great barking laugh, but she managed to keep her face smiling in that fake way she had put on before she came over.

“Now, I don’t believe that for a second.”

Lily whipped her head sharply to the left when she heard James Potter’s voice enter the conversation.  He was leaning slightly and breathing heavily, proof that he had only just left the game he had started.  He was smiling too broadly to leave room for a smirk, but she swore she heard it in his voice nevertheless.  Despite herself, she felt her eyes narrowing, threatening to ruin her calm exterior.

“I just don’t think we can trust you,” he continued, “You love giving us detentions, so what’s to say you won’t blackmail us into doing _your_ job and then give us the whole punishment anyways?”

“Really, Potter.  I don’t see why you have to turn this into a fight.  I am being perfectly pleasant.” But that was a lie because, against her will, Lily’s voice was starting to rise and grow sharper and that glint in his eyes told her he knew it.

“Mmhm.”

His eyebrows were raised now and he was stepping towards her slowly with his head to one side, that stupid, crooked smile still on his face.  She felt herself growing hot with anger, but took a couple breaths and put back on a calm, falsely friendly face.

After a few moments, she was ready to say, “I am not going to blow up and yell for your amusement, Potter.  Please restore the rabbits to their prior condition.”

“But Evans,” he ignored the second half of her statement completely and had the audacity to use a friendly, familiar tone when he informed her, “It’s so much more _fun_ when you do.  And I know, deep down inside, you just like to yell.”

Lily gave him a stern look that pretty clearly informed him that she did _not_ , but her diplomatic tone continued still, “I’m serious, Potter.  There is no reason we ca-“

Most people didn’t stop chasing the lucky rabbit when James Potter ducked down to grab Lily Evan’s face.  There were only a few people, despite the number who would later claim otherwise, who actually witnessed Lily Evans stand shocked a moment before slapping James Potter for his impertinence.

But it seemed everyone in Hogwarts turned with a grin when she screamed, louder than they’d ever heard, “POTTER!”

Despite the danger, James laughed as he started jogging casually away, “ _Told you_ you liked yelling.”

“How _dare_ you!?” Lily abandoned any semblance of control over her tone and no longer cared if everyone heard, “I will _kill_ you, Potter!  String you up, skin you, and hang you up in the common room!”

The Marauders only laughed, running back to the castle and shooting spells to cause loud noises and stir the rabbits into an even greater chaos.  Students were laughing as the hunt for the blue-tailed rabbit became that much more difficult.  Meanwhile, Lily was shouting very specific death threats for as long as her voice held out before finally taking care of the mayhem surrounding her.

All in all, it was not a great day for Lily Evans.  Not only because she missed the opportunity to assign the Marauders detention with such a great crowd of witnesses.  Not only because she had lost her temper when she had promised herself she wouldn’t.  Not only because she had to singlehandedly herd a hundred scared rabbits back into the Forbidden Forest and about fifty students back to the castle.  Not only because James Potter had kissed her. 

But because she had to admit, if only to herself, that the kiss from the wild James Potter, the troublemaker, Prongs, the Marauder, was better than any of the kisses from the broken James Potter she had carefully designed the first half of that year.  Much, much better.

\---------

That wasn’t the last time James Potter kissed her.  It would have been so much simpler if it was.

Because then she wouldn’t have the feel of his lips on hers memorized like a damn song.  Because then she wouldn’t have to think of new ways to hit him.  Because then he wouldn’t know how to dodge her slaps, her punches, her kicks, her elbows.  Because then Mary and Dorcas wouldn’t have seen it that time with the flying books in the library.  Because then they wouldn’t have blabbed to Emmeline and Marlene and sat her down to talk about it.  Because then that talk wouldn’t have quickly turned into them teasing her, just a little bit.  Because then they wouldn’t have realized that she wasn’t responding quite how she should.  Because then they wouldn’t have gotten it out of her that she didn’t completely hate it as much as she wanted to.  Because then they wouldn’t have gotten her mind to thinking about how in some ways Potter actually had changed and that the Marauder’s pranks were mostly to distract everyone from the pain that was happening outside of Hogwarts.

Because then she wouldn’t have to admit that Potter might have been the slightest bit completely right before.  There was a world outside of Hogwarts and it was very scary and as little as she liked to think about it, they were already a part of it.  Getting good grades and becoming Head Girl wouldn’t buy her safety or even success out there.

\---------

It was a couple days after her conversation with her friends in their dormitory.  She had thought it all over, with a bit of prodding from her friends, and recognized she hadn’t been completely in the right.  Potter was still deeper in the wrong, of course, but she had waded in that pool, as well.

“Potter,” she called when she saw him ahead of her in an otherwise deserted hallway.

He turned lazily with a knowing grin, “You can’t punish me just now, Evan’s.  I’m only walking.  During the day.  In a place I’m allowed to be.”

She glared, “I’m not trying to give you detention.”

“Sure,” he said, disbelieving, as he rolled his eyes, but he ambled towards her all the same.

She had the feeling he did it to test her more than for the sake of obedience, but she supposed that was fair.  Most would argue he had done too much obeying already when it came to her, and she was starting to get to the point where she could agree.  She had been imagining some form of an apology when she first sought him out.  But now with him standing there looking almost bored, seemingly fully recovered from whatever she did to him, she wasn’t so sure.

“You rang, Evans?”

He said it so calmly, but that only added to her satisfaction.  Because now Potter would learn what it felt like for her to reach over unexpectedly and steal a kiss from his lips. 

There was no audience, no witnesses, no one to believe him later if he ever tried to say it happened.  Lily reveled in it, in her accomplishment, in her petty revenge, and maybe a little bit in him, there, silent, _silenced_.  And also kissing her, because he _was_ kissing her, kissing her back in that hallway where there was no one.

\---------

Of course, the _plan_ was that Lily’s revenge would only happen once.  Everything would have been so much simpler if she had.  But she found she was a bit too petty for that.  It didn’t seem right that he should be punished once for all the times he messed with her like that.  Because it didn’t stop him from tagging on that extra insult every few pranks when she would catch him.  And it didn’t stop her from slapping him, or punching, or kicking, or elbowing.  But she would still get her revenge each time.

She was careful.  It was very important that no one ever saw her, never even suspected what she did.  Because then they would think something else, something completely inaccurate, and she couldn’t have that.  No, she needed Potter to never have a single witness to corroborate his story.

To his credit, he never seemed to try.  To his fault, he never seemed to mind it as much as he was supposed to.  He never avoided her when they were in a hallway or classroom alone together.  If Lily were being completely honest, she would realize that it was not actually the most effective method of vengeance.  Potter was catching her just as often as part of his pranks, maybe even more, and his troublemaking hadn’t slowed, either.  But if Lily were being completely honest, she would admit that was hardly the issue anymore.

The truth was, she thought about her revenge more than she was supposed to.  She was losing track of how many times she had finished it in comparison to how many times he had started it.  Really, any time they happened to be alone and left alone was an opportunity and she figured it was within her right to take it.

It wasn’t like they were constantly sneaking off to broom cupboards between classes or he was swooping her into his arms every time the Marauders pulled off a scheme.  It didn’t happen enough to form a routine, but perhaps a habit.  A bad habit.

\---------

Really, the end of the term was a relief.  Neither of them was supposed to like the other.  There was no reason for either to forgive and they weren’t so sure any of their friends would have understood the forgiveness if it had come unsolicited.  Not that they had discussed such a thing.  They still hated each other, after all.

Potter saw her off from the train with a ‘Miss you already, Evans’ and a false wink that may or may not have made her stomach flip.  After that, they were free of each other.

\---------

And then the letters came out, and James laughed outright in his kitchen.  Sirius leaned over his shoulder and barked out his own laughter even as Mrs. Potter began talk of a nice dinner and of course some cake.  They had figured McGonagall would have rescinded her recommendation or, if she couldn’t, they had every confidence Dumbledore would know better than to follow it.

That old codger really was off his rocker, but it would make for an even better year than they had expected.

\---------

So it was that Lily Evans once again received a proper shock when she returned to Hogwarts after a holiday.  She found herself stuck.

To be friendly, act like they had never had conflict a day in their lives, would be pointless.  And _wrong_.  Because the only time they had ever faked their personalities for each other was during their disastrous “relationship” and it came at the expense of nearly everything James was.  Even Lily didn’t want that again, no matter how much easier it might make things. 

She had learned to appreciate her relationship with James, the brutal honesty of it, during those last few months of their sixth year and over the summer as she reflected on it.  Not that she reflected on him all the time, mind you.  Just every now and again, when it happened to be relevant.  And perhaps a few times more, for reasons that mystified and yet still irritated Lily.

But on the other hand, she couldn’t be outright defensive either.  That would just cause extra conflict in addition to any inevitable quarrels they would have over immaturity and responsibility.  And while fighting with James was certainly exciting, and maybe not something she was sure she was ready to give up, that wasn’t how she wanted to spend her last year, either.  That certainly wasn’t what she wanted professors thinking of her leadership style when they wrote her recommendation letters (even if they were for jobs beyond her blood status).

To her amazement, it was James who formed the solution.

“Truce?” he asked, sounding the closest he ever came to embarrassed.

“What?”

They were in the Head’s office, which really was a tiny, unused classroom a couple doors down from the Prefects’ lounge.  All there was room for were two desks pushed against each other to form a sort of table and a cork board on the wall that still had schedules pinned up from the year before.  His words, or word, broke the silence that had settled thickly as they observed their new workspace.

“A truce,” he repeated before clarifying, “I only mean, this whole thing might go a bit easier if we could manage some sort of friendly arrangement.”

She felt her eyebrows raise of their own accord.  “Friends?”

“Friend _ly_ ,” he corrected with the greatest eye roll she had ever seen him accomplish, “Honestly, Evans, slow down.”

“Fine.  Friend _ly_.  What would that entail?”

“I dunno, Evans.  What do you think?” he shot back, and she was finding it strangely satisfying to watch for the first time in seven years him get annoyed.  Anger she had seen, but not impatience- it must be the stress of leadership getting to him- or just the stress of dealing with her.  Honestly, either one served him right.  Apparently thinking himself patient enough to continue, he followed up with, “We’ll just- we’ll work together.”

“So, what- I’ll play wingman, you’ll braid my hair, and we forget who we’ve been the past six years?”

“What?  No. I- Evans.”  He was definitely flustered now, but reigned it in quicker than she would have thought, quicker than she could have done.  “Look, all I’m suggesting is we start somewhat clean- no standoffs, no investigations, no pranks, no-“

She had a feeling she knew what he was thinking about saying, was positive when she caught him wearing that blush that went down his neck.

“No nothing,” he finished lamely.

As much as she wanted to take this opportunity to be cool and collected while he stood there blushing, she felt herself going just as red.  Well, if she couldn’t have victory, she guess she’d accept peace.

“Alright.  Truce.”

\---------

It should have been slow, the transition from early truce to friendship, but it wasn’t.  In a way they had both been waiting impatiently several months now for the chance to be friends.  Even when they were arguing, even when seeing her meant a good shot at detention and seeing him meant losing a bit more or her dignity, there had been that itch to interact.  She said she didn’t like yelling, but she did when it was at him, and he said he didn’t like getting caught, but he did when it was her biting comments that bookended the punishment.

It didn’t hurt that they both hated Astronomy this year with a burning passion.  They could get each other going and say terrible things and all it would do is make the other nod in agreement.  It didn’t hurt that they both found it easier to study Charms by quizzing someone else.  They both liked to study in the Heads’ office anyways.  It didn’t hurt that he offered to cover her patrol that night when she realized with a panic Slughorn had that very influential party _that_ Friday.  Or that she didn’t mind picking up a couple extra shifts the week before a Quidditch match.

So their friends could judge the anticlimactic end to their rivalry if they’d like, but they couldn’t argue it wasn’t convenient.  And Sirius had to admit that when he wasn’t breaking rules, Lily was nothing but pleasant towards him.  And Dorcas had to admit James was a great help in Transfiguration Society meetings.  And Peter had to admit that James was still being James.    And Marlene had to admit that there were actually loads of ways Lily made him smile.

Plus, it’s not like they went around _saying_ they were friends.  They just studied together sometimes and asked quick questions sometimes and made up patrol schedules sometimes and happened to eat together sometimes.  They just respected each other always and mentioned each other to their friends a bit too often.  They were just James and Lily, Gryffindors, Seventh years, Head students, partners maybe, whatever they were.

\---------

“Are you even listening to me?” Lily asked through a sigh as they sat in some empty classroom following a prefects’ meeting.

James quirked his mouth into a quick smile, “Sorry, not really.  I thought you were done.”

“Busy thinking up some new scheme?” She prompted, but it was with a smile that couldn’t have existed a year before, couldn’t have existed until they were both made Heads and finally had an excuse to forgive each other, “I thought you were over that.”

Her companion straightened his back and his glasses, “Come now, Evans.  I already tried that and it didn’t sit well with me.”

She sighed, but mostly hidden by her ducked head there remained a slight smile.

“What, reminiscing on the good ole’ days?” he asked with an amused head tilt to catch her expressions.

Lily shook her head good-naturedly, “I don’t think those _were_ the good ole’ days.”

“Yeah?  Then what do you figure were?”

She gave it some thought for a few moments before answering, “I suppose right now.  How things are now.”

She smiled down at the schedules before her, not realizing James had picked up the pensive expression she just dropped.

“I’m thinking of another time.”

Her head snapped up at his words, and she was startled when her eyes met his and found he was being serious.  At least, as serious as he ever seemed to be.

“Now, Potter,” she began calmly, “We have to be adults about this.”

He ducked his head suddenly and put on a slightly shy grin. “Right. Of course.  You’re right.”

“We need to compromise.”

In an instant, as if desperate to accept the change of topic, James had the patrol schedules in hand and held very close to his face. “On the patrol schedules?  I hadn’t realized we were in disagreement.  But I trust your judgement so whatever you think i-“

“About the good ole’ days,” she clarified patiently. “I think we need to compromise about the good ole’ days.  I like that we can talk now.”

James still looked startled, but the corners of his mouth were turning up once more. “I liked that we could argue.”

“I need us to fulfill our Head duties.”

He smirked. “I need a bit of trouble every now and again.”

She sighed, but said, “I need you to keep from bullying the other students,” seeing his look, she shrugged. “I know.  You haven’t been.  But I need to be sure.”

“I need Sirius.”

She rolled her eyes at his rule before adding, “You’ll be needing Peter and Remus, too.  And I’ll need the girls.”

Her judgmental look quickly lost to a smile when she caught the huge grin he was wearing from her comment.  Still, she continued.

“I need to still do well on N.E.W.T.s.”

“I need to acknowledge what it’s actually like out there.”

“I need a bit of peace.”

“I need a bit of snogging.”

She blinked at how blunt his addition was.  She was a little disappointed because she got the sense that their game was very much over and they were now onto whatever came next.  But his grin was at a perfect mix with that smirk he always used to wear and she couldn’t help returning it.

“Now would be nice, actually,” James teased as he leaned a bit forward.

Lily smiled but leaned a bit back in response, “What’s to say this isn’t one of those times that we need to argue, hmm?  Or we could talk?  Or actually focus on our Head duties?”

James shook his head wildly, childishly, “No way, Evans.  You already had it your way.  Now we’re starting this compromise on _my_ turn.”

And she laughed at him, with him, but in her head she could admit that at that moment she wasn’t compromising very much.  She actually wasn’t compromising at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I do respect your time and am grateful for what it's already taken to read this. If you do have a minute to spare, however, and would have any comments to leave, they would come greatly appreciated. I look forward to learning from your reviews. Thanks again.


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